Top Tips for Creating a Guest-Ready Linen Closet

Linen closets, whether in your bathroom or in the hall, often become a catchall for towels, sheets, blankets and myriad toiletries. The space can quickly become disorganized—so much so that when you open the door and reach for a blanket on a high shelf, duvets, quilts and towels come tumbling down on your head. Sigh.

This is a distressing prospect if you’re hosting guests this summer—the last thing you want them to do is root through your disorganized linen closet when looking for an extra towel or some toilet paper.

Sort and Organize Towels and Sheets

The path to an organized linen closet starts with sorting. Clear out your closet and make piles for the linens you’ll keep, the ones that will become rags and stored with cleaning supplies, and the ones that should be donated. Consider reaching out to a local animal shelter to donate blankets and towels you no longer use.

To get and stay organized, you might want to try a custom closet solution, rather than just refolding and stuffing sheet sets and quilts back onto each shelf.

When you choose a custom closet solution, a professional designer will take a look at your space and your stuff, and develop a plan to help you use it more efficiently. This means adding the right mix of shelves, wire baskets and roll-outs so everything is within easy reach.

Store Like Items Together

Everyone has a personal preference for storage, which is one reason custom closets are so great. But in your linen closet, one way to keep the space looking organized is by keeping like items together and folding them the same way.

Store sheet sets in a pillowcase to keep everything together. The same goes for towels—keep decorative towels in one spot and everyday towels in another, ideally at eye level. Bulky comforters, duvets, quilts, blankets, extra pillows, seasonal linens and less-used items should be kept out of the way at the top or bottom of the closet.

Welcome Guests With Items Just for Them

Make your guests feel more at home when they visit by including a bin or basket with items they might’ve forgotten. After all, there’s nothing worse than realizing you forgot contact solution or toothpaste after your hosts have gone to bed.

You should include travel size shampoo, conditioner and soap you’ve collected from hotels in this basket. You might also want to add hairspray, sunscreen and even a new toothbrush—just in case. Label it for your guests so they know they can help themselves.

Keep Linens Smelling Fresh

Just like clothing, linens that aren’t laundered very often can start to smell a little less than fresh. To stave off mustiness, store an open box of baking soda in the closet. You can compliment that with a sachet of lavender, vanilla, pine or your favorite scent so your linen closet smells good every time you or your guests open it.

Organizing your linen closet will eliminate a little more clutter from your life and help you avoid that cringe-worthy moment the next time your guests need to grab an extra wash cloth.